Richard Menefee
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Richard Hickman Menefee (December 4, 1809 – February 21, 1841) was a
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
. Due to his oratory skill, he was dubbed "the young
Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first an ...
of the West." He was presumed the successor to
Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...
as leader of the Whig Party until his death at age thirty-one. Menefee received a meager education in his early life. A dispute with his stepfather caused him to leave home in his mid-teens. He worked as a teacher to support himself and pay to finish his education. He graduated from
Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...
and studied law. In 1831, he was appointed Commonwealth's Attorney for Kentucky's eleventh district and was elected to the
Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...
the following year. In 1836, Menefee was elected to the House of Representatives. His best known speech in that body urged restraint in the ''Caroline'' affair with the British. His reputation, and that of fellow Kentuckian John J. Crittenden, were tarnished due to their involvement in a duel between Representatives
William J. Graves William Jordan Graves (1805 – September 27, 1848) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. Graves was born in New Castle, Kentucky, and pursued an academic course early in life, choosing to study law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced l ...
and Jonathan Cilley in which the latter was mortally wounded. He did not stand for re-election following his term in office and returned to his legal practice. In 1841, he was elected to the
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
, but died five days later before he could take office. Menifee County, Kentucky, despite the spelling discrepancy, is named in his honor.


Early life

Richard Hickman Menefee was born on December 4, 1809 in Owingsville, Kentucky.''National Cyclopedia of American Biography'', p. 420 He was the third of five sons born to Richard and Mary (Longsdale) Menefee.Mathias, p. 624 His father was an Irish
potter A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US * Potter, Arkansas *Potter, Nebraska * Potters, New Je ...
who immigrated to Kentucky from
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in the 1790s and became one of the founders of the city of Owingsville. Despite a limited education, the elder Richard Menefee was elected to multiple terms in the Kentucky House of Representatives and one term in the
Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentu ...
. It was while the elder Richard Menefee was in Frankfort for a session of the General Assembly that his son Richard was born. When asked to name the child at his
baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
, his mother christened him Henry Clay Menefee, after Kentucky statesman
Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...
. When his father returned from his legislative duties, he changed the child's name to Richard Hickman Menefee in honor of his Senate colleague,
Richard Hickman Richard Hickman (1757–1832) was the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, serving in that capacity from 1812 to 1816 under Isaac Shelby during Shelby's second term as governor. Hickman was born in Virginia in 1757 to Maj. James Hickman and Ha ...
. Menefee's father died in 1815. Four years later, his mother married
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
George Lansdown, proprietor of a spa in Bath County. Until the age of twelve, Menefee was educated by his mother. He then enrolled at Walker Bourne's preparatory school in Bath County, where he was a classmate of future congressmen
Henry Smith Lane Henry Smith Lane (February 24, 1811 – June 19, 1881) was a United States representative, Senator, and the 13th Governor of Indiana; he was by design the shortest-serving Governor of Indiana, having made plans to resign the office should his ...
and John Jameson. Two years later, family troubles forced him to withdraw from school and help support the family. He began work at a
tavern A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that h ...
in Owingsville and engaged in farm work during the summer months. He continued his studies as time allowed and became a teacher at age fifteen. A short time later, he left home due to a dispute with his stepfather. He relocated to
Mount Sterling, Kentucky Mount Sterling, often written as Mt. Sterling, is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Montgomery County, Kentucky, Montgomery County, Kentucky. The population was 6,895 at the time of the 2010 U.S. census. It is the county seat of Mo ...
and paid his way through school. At age eighteen, Menefee entered Transylvania University in the junior class. Though the college's rules forbade conveying degrees upon underage candidates, Menefee was granted an exception by President Horace Holley and graduated with his class. Following his graduation, he
read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...
with Judge James Trimble. He returned to Mount Sterling, where he was admitted to the
bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...
in 1830 and opened a law practice in 1831. In October 1831, he enrolled at Transylvania University law school and on March 3, 1832, earned a law degree. Notable in Menefee's graduating class was George W. Johnson, who would later serve as governor of Kentucky's provisional Confederate government during the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. On August 14, 1832, Menefee married Sarah Bell Jouett, daughter of famed Kentucky painter
Matthew Harris Jouett Matthew Harris Jouett (Mercer County, Kentucky, 22 April 1788 – Lexington, Kentucky, 10 August 1827) was a noted American portrait painter, famous for painting portraits including Thomas Jefferson, George Rogers Clark and Lafayette. Personal ...
. The couple had three children: Alexander (who died as an infant), Richard, and Mary.


Political career

On November 15, 1831,
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Thomas Metcalfe appointed Menefee to succeed his law tutor, James Trimble, as Commonwealth's Attorney for the 11th district. He held this office until 1836, when he resigned to seek election to the Kentucky House of Representatives. In the midst of the campaign, Governor James Turner Morehead called for one thousand mounted soldiers for service in the
Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...
. A
company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
was raised in Montgomery County, and they chose Menefee as their
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, but the requisite thousand men reached Governor Morehead before Menefee's company; consequently, Menefee's men were turned away. Menefee returned to the campaign trail, and he was elected as a Whig to represent Montgomery County in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Menefee was appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee. The first bill he offered to the House authorized the construction of the first
turnpike Turnpike often refers to: * A type of gate, another word for a turnstile * In the United States, a toll road Turnpike may also refer to: Roads United Kingdom * A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...
in Bath County and gave control of the turnpike to the Owingsville and Big Sandy Road Company; this bill passed and was signed into law by Governor James Clark on February 16, 1832. His most notable action in the House was arguing against the repeal of an 1833 law that prohibited the importation of slaves. Fellow representative Thomas F. Marshall called Menefee's speech on this occasion "the master effort of his mind that winter." In April 1837, Menefee announced that he would challenge
incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
Richard French for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Menefee defeated French by a margin of 234 votes and was the youngest member of the
Twenty-fifth Congress The 25th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 183 ...
. ''Youth's History of Kentucky'', an 1898 school textbook, records that some referred to Menefee as "the young
Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first an ...
of the West" due to his considerable oratory skill. He was appointed to the Committee on Expenditures of the Public Buildings and the Committee on Patents. He opposed several measures favored by
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Martin van Buren, including a bill to cease distributing the federal budget surplus to the states and a bill authorizing the printing of an additional $10 million in currency. Both measures passed over his objections. In 1837, rebels seeking a more democratic Canada fled to Navy Island in the
Niagara River The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
. The rebels, led by William Lyon Mackenzie, found sympathy with Americans across the river in New York. These Americans carried supplies to the rebels aboard the steamship ''Caroline''. In retaliation, a group of British and Canadian loyalists crossed the river, loosed the ''Caroline'' and set her on fire, then put her in the river's current, sending her over
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
. The ''Caroline'' affair provoked anger and anti-British sentiment in the United States. It was upon this subject that Menefee made his most notable speech in the House. He urged restraint in responding to the British and proclaimed that he saw no great principles involved in the affair. On February 1, 1838, a dispute arose surrounding the election of
Seargent Smith Prentiss Seargent Smith Prentiss (September 30, 1808July 1, 1850) was an American attorney and politician. He served as a state representative in Mississippi and then was elected in 1838 as US representative from the state in the Twenty-fifth United Sta ...
and Thomas J. Word – both of
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
– to the House of Representatives. Menefee contested the claims of Virginia's
James M. Mason James Murray Mason (November 3, 1798April 28, 1871) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as senator from Virginia, having previously represented Frederick County, Virginia, in the Virginia House of Delegates. A grandson of George M ...
and
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
's Hugh S. Legare that the Mississippians had not been properly elected. Both were eventually allowed to retain their seats. In 1838, Menefee and John J. Crittenden served as seconds for fellow Kentucky representative
William J. Graves William Jordan Graves (1805 – September 27, 1848) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. Graves was born in New Castle, Kentucky, and pursued an academic course early in life, choosing to study law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced l ...
in a duel in which Graves killed
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
representative Jonathan Cilley.Mathias, p. 625 The House censured Graves over the incident, and the reputations of both Crittenden and Menefee were tarnished by their involvement. Shortly thereafter, the House passed anti-dueling legislation.Townsend in ''Kentucky in American Letters'', p. 173 Menefee's longest speech in the House was with regard to this law, and was delivered in three parts on April 23, 28, and 30, 1838. Menefee voluntarily retired from public life after serving only a single term in the House.


Later life and death

Menefee returned to Kentucky, settling in Lexington, where he resumed his law practice. On a return trip to Owingsville, he successfully defended a man accused of murder in a dispute over rights to an
ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 April 2 ...
bed. His opponent in the case was his old colleague from the House, Thomas F. Marshall. Menefee's biographer, John Townsend, called the case "the second greatest law case in which enefeewas ever engaged." The greatest, according to Townsend, was the 1840 case involving the
will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
of a man named James Rogers. In the will, Rogers expressed that he had already provided assets from his estate amounting to five thousand dollars to the children of his first marriage and that upon his death, his estate was to be divided among his second wife and her children. A team of Menefee, future governor James F. Robinson, and Madison C. Johnson represented the five children from the first marriage, who filed suit to set aside the will on the grounds that their father had suffered a stroke and was not of sound mind when constructing the will. They argued opposite Henry Clay and
Robert C. Wickliffe Robert Charles Wickliffe (January 6, 1819 – April 18, 1895) was Lieutenant Governor and the List of Governors of Louisiana, 15th Governor of Louisiana from 1856 to 1860. Early life and education He was born in Bardstown, Kentucky at Wicklan ...
. The case lasted six days, and the decision in the case went against Menefee and Robinson. Menefee's health was already beginning to fail during the trial with Clay, and he last appeared in court in September 1840. In 1841, Cassius M. Clay nominated Menefee to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the resignation of John J. Crittenden. He was elected, but died five days later. He was commonly reported to have died of
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
, but Townsend claims the true cause of death was "consumption of the bowels." He was interred in a private cemetery in Fayette County.Congressional Biography On October 28, 1893, he was re-interred in Cave Hill Cemetery in
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
. The Transylvania Law Society asked Menefee's colleague, Thomas F. Marshall, to deliver a speech on Menefee's life and character at Marshall's convenience. Marshall spent seven weeks preparing the eulogy.Townsend, p. 275 Afterward, the Society asked Marshall for the text of the speech, and it was published as a pamphlet.Townsend, p. 301 Kentucky historian Lewis Collins opined that, had he lived, Menefee would have succeeded Henry Clay as the leader of the Whig Party. Menifee County, Kentucky is named in Menefee's honor, despite the unintentional misspelling of the name.


References

* * * * * *


Further reading

*


Notes

A transcript of this speech can be found in Townsend's biography of Menefee on pages 113 thorough 128


External links

*
Richard Menefee at The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menefee, Richard Hickman 1809 births 1841 deaths Burials at Cave Hill Cemetery Kentucky lawyers Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives People from Owingsville, Kentucky Transylvania University alumni Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky 19th-century American politicians American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century American lawyers